Remington Model 1890 Single Action Army Revolver

Closely resembling the Colt Model 1873 Single Action Army, this
Remington design was the successor to the firm's Model 1875 Single
Action Army. Produced only in the popular .44-40 centerfire
caliber, the Model 1890 also did away with its predecessor's
distinctive web under the ejector rod. Both 5-1/2 inch and 7-1/2
inch round barrels were available, as were both blued and
nickel-plated finishes. Checkered hard rubber grip panels featured
the "RA" monogram at the top. Slightly more than 2000 were
manufactured during a five year production run.

Eliphalet Remington II was born in Suffield, Connecticut on
October 28, 1793. His father, Eliphalet Remington, moved his family
from Connecticut to the Mohawk River Valley in 1800, where he
cleared enough land for a small farm, built a two-room cabin that
was later replaced by a larger home, and, along with others who had
also moved to the region from Connecticut, established the town of
Litchfield. Eliphalet Remington Sr. also owned an iron forge. Here
he both fabricated and repaired tools, equipment, and hardware, and
Lite, as Eliphalet II was nicknamed, worked alongside him and
learned the trade as well.

The younger Remington had the opportunity to examine various long
arms that were owned by local residents, and in 1816, he decided
that he was capable of manufacturing a good rifle barrel. This he
proceeded to do, and he took the finished product to a local
gunsmith for boring and rifling. Lite then fitted a lock, stock,
and furniture, and upon completion, he found that it shot well.
After showing his new gun to area residents, he soon had a large
number of orders for gun barrels. These were octagonal in shape,
and as with his initial effort, boring and rifling was done by a
gunsmith in nearby Utica.

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the establishment of
railroads soon thereafter provided an economic boost to the region.
Remington's rifle barrel works expanded as well. By 1828, he had
established his own forge in Ilion, and he soon came to dominate
the local trade, producing over 8,000 barrels per year for
gunsmiths who would do final rifling and fitting.

In 1844, Remington's oldest son, Philo, joined him in his business.
This was reflected in the firm's name, which became E. Remington
and Son. By the mid-1850s, his two other sons, Samuel and Eliphalet
III, had also joined the company, and the name changed yet again.
In addition to gun barrels, E. Remington and Sons also manufactured
plows, mowing machines, cotton gins, and firefighting equipment. In
later years, their product line expanded to include bicycles,
sewing machines, and typewriters.

Remington's involvement in the manufacture of completed firearms
came in 1848, when the company received a contract for the
completion of 1,000 Jenks breechloading carbines for the U.S. Navy.
In addition, Remington took over a defaulted contract from another
manufacturer for the production of 5,000 U.S. Model 1841
"Mississippi" rifles. The business expanded through the 1850s, and
handgun production began in 1857 with the introduction of the
Remington-Beals pocket revolver.

The coming of the Civil War naturally brought about a dramatic
increase in the demand for firearms, and Remington's production
also increased to keep pace. During this period, the company
manufactured both .36 and .44 caliber revolvers, as well as Model
1863 Percussion Contract Rifle, popularly known as the "Zouave"
rifle.

The post-war years brought smaller pocket pistols and deringers,
the Remington-Smoot metallic cartridge pistols, Remington Single
Action Army revolvers, rolling block rifles and pistols, slide,
autoloading, and hammerless shotguns, and the Remington-Hepburn
falling block rifles. During the 20th century, Remington has
established itself as a manufacturer of high quality sporting arms,
especially with upland game and bird hunters. The company also did
its part during two World Wars as a manufacturer of military arms
and munitions.

In addition to the M1911 semi-automatic pistol, the Browning Model
1917 heavy machine gun, and the Model 1917 bolt-action rifle,
Remington also manufactured the Pedersen device. This was an early
attempt to increase the firepower of individual infantry troops
armed with the Springfield Model 1903 rifle. These rifles were
modified by cutting the receiver wall to accommodate an ejection
port, and the replacement of the bolt with a semi-automatic
assembly that accepted a 40-round stick magazine loaded with the
.30 caliber Pedersen, a pistol-class cartridge. Over 65,000
Pedersen devices were manufactured, but most were scrapped after
the war.

During the Second World War, Remington manufactured the M1903
(Modified) rifle, a transitional long arm in which stamped parts
replaced some that had been milled in the earlier model, while
other parts were dispensed with altogether in the interests of
reducing production time. The company also manufactured the
redesigned M1903A3 battle rifle and M1903A4 sniper
rifle.

Eliphalet Remington II died in 1861, at which time Philo took over
management of the company. Samuel died in 1882, and Philo purchased
his share in the company. By 1886, E. Remington & Sons had
experienced serious downturns, and the company went into
receivership. In 1888, Marcellus Hartley, a partner in the New York
sporting and military goods firm of Schuyler, Hartley, and Graham,
as well as the founder and owner of the Union Metallic Cartridge
Company, went together with Winchester Repeating Arms Company to
purchase Remington. Each partner had an equal share of the firm,
which was renamed Remington Arms Co., with Hartley serving as
president and Thomas Bennett of Winchester assuming the role of
vice president.

In 1896, Winchester sold its stake in Remington to Hartley.
Marcellus Hartley died in 1902, and leadership of the company
passed to Marcellus Hartley Dodge. In 1910, Remington Arms and
Union Metallic Cartridge were merged into a single company, known
as Remington-UMC. In 1934, both company's name and ownership
changed as Remington-U.M.C. was purchased by DuPont and reorganized
as the Remington Arms Co., Inc. The Ilion armsmaker remained a part
of the DuPont organization until 1993, when Remington was purchased
by the investment group of Clayton Dubilier Rice.